Slide buckle



Oct; 28, 1941. J. R. LA VIGNE SLIDE BUCKLE Fild June 5, 1940 f ,MM W Z (g M ,W @da -i M w f! @1.5 f/

Patented Oct. 28, 1941 SLIDE BUCKLE Jerome R. Lal Vigne, Waterbury, Conn., assigner to The Waterbury Buckle Company, Waterbury, Conn., a corporation of Connecticut Application June 5, 1940, serial No. 338,864

2 Claims. (C1. .e4-196)l The present invention relates to improvements in buckles and more particularly to improvements kin slide-buckles of the general type wherein one member slides with respect to another ,member to grip a strap or the like.

. One of the objects of the present invention is to provide a superior slide-buckle so constructed and arranged as to be assemblable with ease and rapidity.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a superior slide-buckle comprising two coacting members and so constructed and arranged that a strap or the like may be securely attached to one of the said members while the same is conveniently available and prior to the assembly of such member with the other of said members.'

A further object of the present invention is to provide a superior slide-buckle so constructed and arranged as to combine effectiveness of holding power with low cost of manufacture.

With the above and other objects in view, as will appear to those skilled in the art from the present disclosure, this invention includes all features in the said disclosure which are novel over the prior art and which are not claimed in any separate application.

In the accompanying drawing, in which certain modes of carrying out the present invention are shown for illustrative purposes:

Fig. 1 is aview in front elevation of a slidebuckle embodying the present invention, and shown as organized with a strap and a buttonlcop which are partly broken away;

Fig. 2 is an edge view thereof;

Fig. 3 is a rear View thereof;

Fig. 4 is a view in longitudinal section taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 1 but on a larger scale;

Fig. 5 is a tranverse sectional View taken on the line 5--5 of Fig. l, but on a larger scale;

Fig. 6 is a perspective View of the body-member, ldetached; and

Fig. 'I is av perspective view of the grippingmember, detached.

The particular slide-buckle herein chosen for purposes of illustrating the present invention includes a body-member or frame generally designated by the reference character I0, and a gripping-member generally designated by the reference character Il and having relative sliding movement lengthwise of the said bodymember.

The body-member IU above referred to, is preferably stamped up from sheet metal, and in- 'cludes a substantially-fiat front-panel I2y from the respective side-edges of which rearwardly project longitudinally-extending side-walls I3- I3. The` said side-walls I3-I3 terminate about v midway the length of the body-member IB and the reary edge of each thereof slopes rearwardly away from the front-panel l2 and downwardly toward the outer or lower end of th body-member to provide each of the said side-walls with a rearwardly-facing inclined camming-surface I4.

Adjacent 'its lower end the front-panel l2 of K the body-member I is provided with a series of transversely-extending flutes I5 to provide a gripping surface for the retention of a strap, in a manner as will hereinafter appear. Adjacent its upper end the body-member I0 is formed with a` transversely-extending slot I6, the respective opposite end-Walls of which project beyond the outer faces of the side-walls I3-I3 of the said body-member to provide laterally-extending stop-ears Il-I'I for limiting the movement of the gripping-member Il, in a manner as will hereinafter appear. interme- .diate the upper ends of its side-walls |3-|3 is contracted in width by the formation of one .thus constructed, the gripping-member II may if desired be conveniently formed from relatively-heavy wire to provide an elongated structure of closed rectangular form and of adequate strength. Each of the end-bars 2I-2I extends rearwardly along the outer face of the adjacent one of the two side-walls I3-I3 of the bodymember I0. The portions of the strap-attaching bar 20 adjacent each of the said end-bars 2|-2I provide forwardly-facing cam-surfaces 22-22 for engagement respectively with the adjacent one of the camming-surfaces lll- I4 of the side-walls l3-I3.

The slide-buckle may be assembled in a variety of manners but preferably the so-called ,xed-portion 23 of a strap, such for instance,

as a strap 24, is wrapped around the strap-attaching bar of thegripping-member II and sewn or otherwise secured in place as is particularly well shown in Fig. 4 and preferably prior to the assembly of the said gripping-member with the body-member I0.

The gripping-member I I may be threaded over the upperA end` of the. body-member IIJ.` which threading'operation is. facilitated by the. notches I8-I8 in the respective opposite sides of the said body-member inasmuch as the said notches. permit the maneuvering so to speak, ofthe y gripping-member II over the upper end ofathle.

i body-member I whichiswwider.` than.. theinj.

ternal width of the said gripping-member.

The freeor running-portionZgo 24 may now be extended around the suspensionbar 26 of a button-loop 21 or the-like.

over a button of a garment such, for instance, as theA buttonl commonly .employed upon the bibs ofoveralls. The running-portion 25of-the strap 2Iv may now be slipped in between the frontface ofthe gripping-bard S-Yof the gripping-member II. The said running-portion 25 preferably then passedlrearwardly through the slot I6 inlthe upper vend'ofthe body-member. I0 and thence Vled upwardlyl for attachment te` whatever. portion of the garment is desired.

During the operation lof-inserting the Arunning-portionv Iof wther strap 2L asabove described, the gripping-.member II will, ifnot helstraa:

be directly grasped and moved upwardly from substantially the position in which it is shown by full lines in Fig. 4 to substantially the posiengilofz astrapto the said strap-attaching bar, y downwardtension upon the looped lower porvpanelv I2 of-the .body-member .lllfand the-'rear already sopositioned, be movedupwardly toward r the slotIli.. to thus provide ample space for the insertion referred to. i

yIt. maylhere be noted that the stop-ears I'I-I of.. the body-member. I0 @prevent the gripping- 'member` II from being displaced olA from'the upper. end .of thebod-y-member. Illin the direction. of.. theslot I6, after the 4said body-member I 6,.' the gripping-member '..I Il and the strap`V 24 have been. assembledr as above described. For the purpose of guarding. againstthedisplace- .ment..of..the gripping-member II oiff-from-the lower end. of .the .body-member ..I0,. each of .the 'side-wal1s..I.3-'I3. ofuthesaid `body-member is provided. adjacent .its lower end .withloneof two stop-.bosses 21B- 28.4

Afterthe slide-buckleparts I0 and. IlI. have beenassembled with. eachother .and .with the strap 121iA as above described, any. downward draft upon .the running-portion 25 of the strap A2II will causethegripping-memberII toalso move downwardly@ This .downward movement. of the gripping-member VII willcause the vsame to move rearwardly. relative tothe. lbody-memberv I 0 1..by virtue .of the engagement `of thecam-surfaces 22-.22 withthe camming-surfaces. I 1T-I4 of the side-wallsy I,-I3` of the. said .body-member ,ID. This rearward movement. of the grippingemem ber/II. as. just described, will. cause the gripping-bar IB- thereofl *.to pinch the running-pontionl2-5 of the strap 24. against .thelilutes I5 :of the .front-panel :I 2. ofA the. body-memberi 0,.- thus firmly. holding the vsaid running-portion. 25 against furtherdownward movement.

This. gripping action ofI the gripping-member IiI. as aboveA described, will'. cause .the saidgripping-.member`- to .shift .fnomsubstantiallythe position inwhich it is. shown,.bybroken,line's in Fig. 4 to the positon in which lit-.isslzlown by full lines in .they sameiigure.

'I'.o effect the releaseof. the running-portion .'25 'of the .strap 24 .the Igrippingmember-I I. may

leo

tion of thefsaidst-rap extending below the buckle structure acts through the intermediary of both of the aforesaid bars to more firmly grip the running-l-portion ofthe strap againstthe. front face of --the body-member-` IIlor-its equivalent. Furthermore, by. means of-.the .structure `of the present inventionf the -xed-portion ofa strap maybe conveniently and, expeditiously attached tofthe gripping-member. prior to the assembly ofthe saidgrippilng-member with a complemental body-member.v A

e The invention may be carried out inother specicways thanthose hereiny set forth. without 'departing' from. the spirit i andessential -characteristics Aof the invention, and: the .present embodimentsare, therefore, to be consideredsin allv respects. as. illustrative and not restrictive,

`and all; changes. coming within the meaning and equivalency .rangeof the appendedvclaims intended to be embraced therein.

I claim:

l; A .slide-buckleassembly including in com.-

are

-binationzv a.b,ody-member.having a front-panel for gripping-.engagement with the running-portionaofy a. strap. and. having a transverse strapreceiving slot .inl-itsupperfportion, the .said bodymember also. including two .longitudinally-tapered-sideflanges. respectively projecting rearwardlyfrom the opposite sides ofthe said frontpanel and having their rear faces eachl providing a.v rearwardly-facing. camming-surface -inclined downwardly and: rearwardly away from the strap-receiving sloty in the said body-member in av direction longitudinally thereof;` a grippingmember of. loop-like form having a gripping-'bar extendingtransversely.across the front face of the front-paneliofl-the saidbodymember and a strap-attachingfbar extending across the yrear of the said body-jmember in engagement with the.inclined-rearl-ed-ges vof vthe said.- side-flanges thereof5v the Asaid gripping-member also including 'two .side-bars.interconnecting the said gripping-barA and. the said strap-attaching bar, and

the median. planes o'fsaid side-bars, lgrppingbar and strap-attaching bar Ain adirectnior1 substantially .at right angles to'- saidfront-panel, substantially lying in a common plane;v and a `.stra-1o .havingan end looped around and lattached to; the strap-attaching .barf-and said strap-depending fr-.om the strap-attaching bar of the said gripping-member and reversely looped and-having a.. runningportion-extending upwardly 'betweenthefront face of thefront-panel ofthe said body-member and the. gripping-bar Vof the said gripping-member and also extendingupward-ly .and then-'rearwardly 1through the straprecelvingslot `iii-the upperfport-i'onfof/ the said 2. A slide-buckle including in combination: a body-member having a front-panel for grippingengagement with the running-portion of a strap and having a transverse strap-receiving slot in its upper portion, the said body-member also including two longitudinally-tapered sideflanges respectively projecting rearwardly from the opposite sides of the said front-panel and having their rear faces each providing a rearwardly-facing camming-surface inclined downwardly and rearwardly away from the strapreceiving slot in the said body-member in a direction longitudinally thereof; and a gripping-member of loop-like form having a gripping-bar extending transversely across the front face of the front-panel of the said body-member and a strapattaching bar extending across the rear of the, said body-member in engagement with the inclinedl rear edges of the said side flanges thereof, the said gripping-member also including two side-bars interconnecting the said gripping-bar and the said strap-attaching bar, and the median planes of said side-bars, gripping-bar and strapattaching bar in a direction substantially at right angles to said front-panel, substantially lying in a common plane. y

J. R. LA VIGNE. 

